The activist and provincial leader of the opposition movement Cuba Independiente y Democrática (CID) in Artemisa, Arelis Rodríguez Silva, denounced in a video the serious crisis facing the municipality of Alquízar and, more broadly, the country.
“We are going through a chaotic situation”, he stated, describing the closure of schools, the lack of food, and the collapse of basic services and healthcare.
Rodríguez Silva explained that authorities sent the children home due to the inability to maintain the normal functioning of educational centers. According to him, some children are receiving informal classes in the homes of mothers who offer educational support.
It also reported the shutdown of food sales points and the near-total shortage of essential products.
In the healthcare sector, her testimony was particularly alarming. The activist stated that there were no syringes or basic medications at the local hospital when she went to seek treatment for a migraine. “There is nothing,” she asserted, claiming that the dire situation contradicts the official narrative that downplays the severity of the crisis.
Rodríguez Silva is not a new voice in Cuban activism. For years, she has been recognized as a leader of the CID in Artemisa and has been involved in public denunciations regarding evictions, situations of social vulnerability, and alleged abuses by local authorities.
Previous reports from independent media have documented their community work, including the free transportation of those in need to medical centers and their support for mothers at risk of losing their homes. There have also been reports of harassment and brief detentions due to their activism.
His complaint comes amid a severe energy crisis that has left Cuba with prolonged blackouts and a chronic deficit in electricity generation.
The deterioration of the thermoelectric system, the lack of maintenance, and the scarcity of fuel have paralyzed key sectors of the economy and worsened the daily lives of millions of Cubans.
In parallel, the administration of President Donald Trump has intensified sanctions related to the energy supply to the island.
At the end of January 2026, Washington announced new measures aimed at penalizing countries, shipping companies, and businesses that export oil or its derivatives to Cuba, with the stated goal of cutting off funding sources for the Cuban state apparatus.
After the fall of the regime of Nicolás Maduro and the interruption of Venezuelan shipments, the flow of crude oil to the island decreased dramatically, worsening the already fragile national power generation.
Experts and international organizations have warned that these restrictions, combined with the structural deterioration of the Cuban thermal power system, are having a direct impact on the availability of electricity, transportation, and the operation of hospitals and basic services.
Rodríguez Silva's testimony adds to other citizen reports that describe a country plagued by blackouts, high prices —such as the bag of coal at 2,500 pesos and oil nearing 2,000— and a growing sense of abandonment.
"Yes, there is hunger, yes, there is misery," he concluded in his message, holding the Cuban totalitarian regime responsible for more than six decades of accumulated crisis.
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